Assumptions can be our friends and other times they can be the dogs that chase us through the woods into an untimely and gruesome death. They help us attain levels of great performance, or they pin us to the wall with fear that we will never meet the expectations. Yet most times we are unaware of the assumptions that manipulate our lives. We just continue on chasing the gold at the end of the rainbow because we assume that 1) there is gold there, 2) we can reach the end of the rainbow, and 3) the gold will make me happy.
The assumptions that I am thinking about today are the assumptions that what I am now is all I can ever be. That nothing of any consequence can ever come from small town Saskatchewan. That good enough is good enough.
But imagine if Jesus came walking into our town today with his twelve disciples in tow. If he sat in front of the water tower and called us to a higher way of living, would it make a difference? I wonder if there would be any sort of change to the way that we do our lives. I wonder if he said to me, “drop your pen and follow me” would many of my assumption change.
What would really make a difference to me is if he said that he knows what I am capable of and he believes in my abilities. That would be a big one. It would rock my worldview.
If you knew what God thought about your abilities, would he be optimistic? I think he would. And that can change all your assumptions for the better.
You can be so much more than what the assumptions around you say. Yet you do not have to be guilty for missing the mark because there is forgiveness.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Burnt
Dear Student
How are you doing? Are you busy? Are you tired?
There are two types of tired. One is slept away with one good night in the sheets. The other exhaustion is much deeper. This one feels worse in the morning.
It is like the difference between a sprinter and a marathon runner. The sprinter after 100 meters may be temporarily winded but ready to go again that same day. The marathon runner is inconsolably shattered and done competing for the rest of the week. College life is much like the marathon.
Let us be honest with ourselves. College can be a thankless black hole that you put life energy into. Yes, it is important valid work, but it requires self-induced balance. No one is going to give us a medal for burning out.
You might know the feeling. You have not “sprang” out of bed in months. Standing in front of the mirror at the start of the day you feel like it should be the end of the day. Nothing of great consequence is on the agenda, and yet there is a quiet nagging dread. Hiding somewhere in the layers of your psyche is a rogue emotion that just wants a good irrational crying session. I know because I have been there.
I should have known better. A new baby, a thesis deadline, and a waiting list of serious student issues required twenty all-nighters on semester. When my eye started twitching, it should have been a warning sign. But there was so much “good” stuff that needed doing. It is a long familiar story, but two years later I am still trying to bring recovery to the frazzled neurons in my brain.
Sports Psychology reveals that high level performance can only be maintained temporarily. To continue to perform optimally, we must rest optimally. I wish someone would have told the twitchy-eyed-all-nighter-idiot two years ago. If we want to do well we must rest. So that begs this question; How are you going to spend your Christmas Vacation?
Here are three pointers learned from the recovery side of burn out.
1) Be a good animal: Sleep lots, eat well, exercise, breath deeply and make love to your spouse (if appropriate). Do not believe that the mind and body are separate. What is good for the heart is good for the brain.
2) Swing left or right: Most of our daily activities polarized into either right or left brain thinking. When you take a break to rest, do something from the other hemisphere. If you read technical books, read poetry in your break. If you concentrate for hours in meetings, loose yourself for hours hiking with the dog. Paint a picture, read an adventure novel or do a puzzle. Getting caught up on your office work will not get you caught you up on rest.
3) Meditate: Learn the skill of relaxing and focusing. This not only brings the health benefits of the relaxation response, but it also re-programs your instinctual behaviours because the process is very similar to hypnosis. Truth within scripture will only set you free if it is internalized and owned.
May you have a rest filled holiday.
How are you doing? Are you busy? Are you tired?
There are two types of tired. One is slept away with one good night in the sheets. The other exhaustion is much deeper. This one feels worse in the morning.
It is like the difference between a sprinter and a marathon runner. The sprinter after 100 meters may be temporarily winded but ready to go again that same day. The marathon runner is inconsolably shattered and done competing for the rest of the week. College life is much like the marathon.
Let us be honest with ourselves. College can be a thankless black hole that you put life energy into. Yes, it is important valid work, but it requires self-induced balance. No one is going to give us a medal for burning out.
You might know the feeling. You have not “sprang” out of bed in months. Standing in front of the mirror at the start of the day you feel like it should be the end of the day. Nothing of great consequence is on the agenda, and yet there is a quiet nagging dread. Hiding somewhere in the layers of your psyche is a rogue emotion that just wants a good irrational crying session. I know because I have been there.
I should have known better. A new baby, a thesis deadline, and a waiting list of serious student issues required twenty all-nighters on semester. When my eye started twitching, it should have been a warning sign. But there was so much “good” stuff that needed doing. It is a long familiar story, but two years later I am still trying to bring recovery to the frazzled neurons in my brain.
Sports Psychology reveals that high level performance can only be maintained temporarily. To continue to perform optimally, we must rest optimally. I wish someone would have told the twitchy-eyed-all-nighter-idiot two years ago. If we want to do well we must rest. So that begs this question; How are you going to spend your Christmas Vacation?
Here are three pointers learned from the recovery side of burn out.
1) Be a good animal: Sleep lots, eat well, exercise, breath deeply and make love to your spouse (if appropriate). Do not believe that the mind and body are separate. What is good for the heart is good for the brain.
2) Swing left or right: Most of our daily activities polarized into either right or left brain thinking. When you take a break to rest, do something from the other hemisphere. If you read technical books, read poetry in your break. If you concentrate for hours in meetings, loose yourself for hours hiking with the dog. Paint a picture, read an adventure novel or do a puzzle. Getting caught up on your office work will not get you caught you up on rest.
3) Meditate: Learn the skill of relaxing and focusing. This not only brings the health benefits of the relaxation response, but it also re-programs your instinctual behaviours because the process is very similar to hypnosis. Truth within scripture will only set you free if it is internalized and owned.
May you have a rest filled holiday.
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